What if Kessel went to the CHL?

[NyCoN]

Yep, it's going to be great when he signs with the Gophers!

 

[LovestheO]

Seventh, he's a smurf and all smurfs go the college route. The best US player in the past few years is Bobby Ryan. He chose the OHL because he could.

 

[nomorekids]

Seventh, he's a smurf and all smurfs go the college route. The best US player in the past few years is Bobby Ryan. He chose the OHL because he could.

1. Kessel is 6 foot, 185 pounds. Hardly a smurf.
2. Bobby Ryan is good, but he's not the best in the past few years.

 

[FearTheFlyers]

2. Bobby Ryan is good, but he's not the best in the past few years.

Woah..he's not?

 

[Oilers Chick]

Seventh, he's a smurf and all smurfs go the college route. The best US player in the past few years is Bobby Ryan. He chose the OHL because he could.

Then I guess players like Dany Heatley, Rob Blake, Paul Kariya and Martin St. Louis are also smurfs right? After all, they ALL played in the NCAA prior to turning pro.

UWSaint: Excellent post BTW. Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[nomorekids]

Woah..he's not?

I'm going to reserve that call until we see if he's better than the O'Sullivans, Schremps and Parises...and it's a little early to be calling him better than Kessel, as well.

 

[FearTheFlyers]

I'm going to reserve that call until we see if he's better than the O'Sullivans, Schremps and Parises...and it's a little early to be calling him better than Kessel, as well.

We don't know if Bobby will be better than O'Sullivan or Schremp. However, he is a better talent at this age, according to the scouts. Kessel has not decided on a location yet that is why I'm not looking at him.

 

[Rocky Saginuts]

Kessel would light up the CHL. He is impossible to contain at that level (even out west….).

As an NHLer, I see him as another Drury/Kamensky type player. He’ll put up decent stats (55-75 points), and score 2-3 highlight reelers a month. An occasional superstar in other words. Just my opinion.

I must be the only one who was completely underwhelmed with Shremp. He tried to carry the puck too much. Didn’t seem like a team player.

Stafford was very impressive – never seen him play, but he is one talented dude.

 

[Hab Fan]

kessel would rip up the ohl, last year he would have bettered osullivans 90 point rookie season, and would score over 100 points this year, even on a last place team like saginaw. if he was playing in the chl this year hed be alot more hyped with the canadian hockey media, and the gap btwn him and crosby would be very small. either way, ncaa will still benefit him bc he is still playing college hockey a year before his draft year against bigger and more mature opponents then in the ohl, where most ncaa players will have already been drafted before their freshman season

No way would he rip up the OHL, not to be critical, but the minute you take off the full shield, I guarantee his game changes. If you have seen him play, he is indeed fast and skilled, not NEARLY in Crosby's league, but you will notice a tendency to stay away from certain "situations" on ice. In fact, even in the WJ he scored 3 against a weak Swedish team then disappeared against Russia, Belarus and the Czechs. I am not critizing, just pointing out he is not in the league of Crosby, Brule, Bobby Ryan, Peter Mueller.

 

[nomorekids]

No way would he rip up the OHL, not to be critical, but the minute you take off the full shield, I guarantee his game changes. If you have seen him play, he is indeed fast and skilled, not NEARLY in Crosby's league, but you will notice a tendency to stay away from certain "situations" on ice. In fact, even in the WJ he scored 3 against a weak Swedish team then disappeared against Russia, Belarus and the Czechs. I am not critizing, just pointing out he is not in the league of Crosby, Brule, Bobby Ryan, Peter Mueller.

You realize he's barely 17, and you've only seen him play about 3 or 4 times?

That's a pretty big statement to make with a limited exposure. I only saw Crosby in one WJC game...the championship vs USA last year, and he was invisible.

He totally sucks.

See how that logic doesn't work?

 

[Hab Fan]

You realize he's barely 17, and you've only seen him play about 3 or 4 times?

That's a pretty big statement to make with a limited exposure. I only saw Crosby in one WJC game...the championship vs USA last year, and he was invisible.

He totally sucks.

See how that logic doesn't work?

Sorry you are so defensive, but, nevertheless, I have seen him play for 3 years at least. I have been followinf Shattuck and Johnson, Hirsh, Parise etc. and have seen him play with the USNTDP many teams last and this year. No, I'm not an expert, just voicing an opinion. I do know this, EVERY time I saw a game get physical and sometimes nasty, he was no where to be found. Take it any way you want, it was always with his own age group.

 

[nomorekids]

Sorry you are so defensive, but, nevertheless, I have seen him play for 3 years at least. I have been followinf Shattuck and Johnson, Hirsh, Parise etc. and have seen him play with the USNTDP many teams last and this year. No, I'm not an expert, just voicing an opinion. I do know this, EVERY time I saw a game get physical and sometimes nasty, he was no where to be found. Take it any way you want, it was always with his own age group.

A player doesn't have to be physical to dominate...and Kessel has put up dominant points, there's no way around that.

 

[joejohnstone]

Sorry you are so defensive, but, nevertheless, I have seen him play for 3 years at least. I have been followinf Shattuck and Johnson, Hirsh, Parise etc. and have seen him play with the USNTDP many teams last and this year. No, I'm not an expert, just voicing an opinion. I do know this, EVERY time I saw a game get physical and sometimes nasty, he was no where to be found. Take it any way you want, it was always with his own age group.

Eventually you are going to have to put away your boner for Sidney (I bet he likes girls) and realize that there are other prospects that will become NHL superstars.

Phil Kessel is going to be one of them.

 

[orangeandblack]

seriously, how come so many people cant admit that there are prospects comparable to crosby. i mean crosby is a very talented, but so are ovechkin, malkin, johnson, kessel, etc.